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How the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Lineup Has Performed Since Starling Marte was Dropped from Leadoff

May 8th, 2014 at 5:25 PM By Allan Smith

At the forefront of the Pittsburgh Pirates' week of moderate success has been the team's lineup, which so often has been blamed for the team's struggles.

Ever since Clint Hurdle dropped Starling Marte down from leadoff against the Baltimore Orioles, the offense has thrived.

From the first game of the doubleheader against the O's through Wednesday's win against San Francisco, the Pirates are hitting .295 with a .377 OBP and a .432 slugging percentage, good for an outstanding .809 OPS. The team is also finding ways to drive runners in through other methods than the home run, hitting 17 doubles and seven triples during this stretch where the Bucs are averaging 4.8 runs per game.

Everyone hitting leadoff through the six-hole has benefited from Hurdle's new lineup.

Continued production such as this is a must out of the lineup if the Pirates are to get back into contention. Assuming it will take 90 wins to make the playoffs, the Pirates must go a minimum of 76-52 the rest of the way.

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The Pirates play their home games at beautiful PNC Park, located in Pittsburgh's North Side. Before the park was built in 2001, both the Pirates and the Steelers shared Three River Stadium. The Pirates' first ballpark was Forbes Field, located on Forbes Avenue, where games could be viewed from the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning.